CVMA responds to Euthanization of Healthy Pets article

This story, published May 22, 2017 by The Canadian Press mentions that there are incidences of euthanization of healthy pets purely for their owners' convenience.

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) has received a number of inquiries as a follow-up to this article, as have a number of provincial veterinary medical associations/regulatory bodies and the Atlantic Veterinary College.

We understand that this ethical issue is of veterinary provincial jurisdiction. We wish to reiterate that we are a national professional association for veterinarians in Canada, but we are not a regulatory body. We are a non-profit member services organization that provides programs and services to support the profession and assist veterinarians with their careers. In Canada, the practice of veterinary medicine is regulated at the provincial level.

When making decisions on euthanasia, it is the responsibility of the veterinarian to assist companion animal owners to determine the suitability of treatment or euthanasia.

Because euthanasia decisions in companion animal practice can be highly emotional and stressful for the animal owner, veterinarians should strive to have conversations with the client to find the best solution for the situation. This should be done on a case by case basis. It is also the decision of the individual veterinarian to decline to euthanize a healthy animal.